Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy


The Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy is a pedestrian bridge in Greenville, South Carolina.

Description

Downtown Greenville is bisected by a wooded valley park containing the falls of the Reedy River. The Liberty Bridge is located just downstream from this group of waterfalls, replacing a six-lane highway bridge that was demolished to improve the visibility and accessibility to the falls and adjacent park. The bridge has a curved clear span over the river that curves away from the falls, providing visitors with an aerial amphitheater from which to view the cascading water. The link gently slopes into the ravine and is supported by twin inclined towers and a single suspension cable with thin cable suspenders only on the side away from the falls, allowing for unobstructed views. The bridge, with a total length of approximately and a clear span of, appears to float over the landscape. The twin towers and suspension cable are visible from vantage points around the city, calling attention and drawing visitors to the public park, falls and river.

Design and construction

The Liberty Bridge was completed in 2004, with Miguel Rosales of Boston-based transportation architects Rosales + Partners providing conceptual, preliminary, and final designs, construction services, and community participation to the City of Greenville. Rosales + Partners collaborated with structural engineers Schlaich Bergermann & Partner and Arbor Engineering.